


Cásate Conmigo

by Xazz



Series: R76 Valentine's Event [4]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: 5+1, Bad Cooking, Breakfast in Bed, Cooking, Date Night, Dating, F/M, Flirting, Kissing, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Reaper76 Valentine's Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 18:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9915620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xazz/pseuds/Xazz
Summary: Five times Gabe tried and failed to ask Jack to marry him and the one time he did.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I've discovered that along with r76 I really enjoy writing Anahardt

1

It seemed sort of old fashioned to be out doing this but Gabriel sometimes felt a little old fashioned. Especially with Jack. Everyone said they were like an old married couple. But not in that they bickered (they did that sometimes) but that they just seemed to have been together for so long it was impossible to not just make everyone aware of it. Even the brass, notorious for being completely oblivious, had figured out that their Strike Commander and Blackwatch Commander were dating. Ana always complained that they made her feel like a real third wheel even when they weren’t acting like a couple because they didn’t even have to talk about anything. Just a look would do most of the time. Still, buying a ring for your boyfriend was pretty old fashioned.

Gabriel had left the watchpoint and headed into the city a bit aways. He hadn’t told anyone what he was doing and only Athena knew where he was really going because Athena just knew _everything_. He’d found a jewelry, not a chain place, one run by some locals who made high-quality jewelry. Athena had actually suggested it after snooping around his Google searches as she did. He’d been annoyed when she’d suggested it but now he was grateful because he would never have found this place otherwise. It was more of a gallery than a jewelry store honestly and along with the jewelry was paintings and some real weird looking sculptures.

“Hello! Let me know if I can help you with anything,” the artist behind the counter said when he entered.

Gabriel didn’t know anything so he just went up and way more awkward and shy than he’d ever been in his life- even more so than the first time he’d ever asked a guy out- he said, “I’m looking to buy a ring.”

“A ring? For yourself?”

“No. For my boyfriend,” Gabriel and their entire face shifted, lifting up just a little.

“Alright. Well, I can show you some. Our jewelers aren’t really the type to make bands but we do have some over here,” he beckoned and Gabriel trailed after him like a duckling. He was having an out of body experience about this ring buying and he hadn’t even seen them yet. Gabriel just let everything the guy said wash over him as he talked about the different bands and jewelry available and probably only took in half of it. “So which ones did you want to look at?”

“Hmm? Oh, those ones look interesting,” Gabriel said but he was sure someone else had said it. It was a weirdly stressful thing to buy a ring for someone. It had to be perfect and if it wasn’t perfect it’d be fucked up. Gabriel wasn’t sure how or if he could live with the rejection so he had to make sure the ring and the proposal were perfect.

The artist pulled out the rings and let him look at them. They were all thin which he guessed was good because then they wouldn’t get in the way. Would Jack even wear it? He tried to imagine it on Jack’s hand and realized he hated all of them. They were too thin. If he was going to get Jack a ring it had to be a big one so everyone would know he wasn’t available. Shit, how many times had he almost bitten someone in half because they’d made a pass at Jack, not realizing he was in a relationship? Nearly all of Blackwatch honestly because that was the type of people Gabriel hired because he was a maniac. He didn’t want anyone to get confused that that was _his_ Jack. “How about some wider ones?” he asked.

“Of course. We have these over here and the ones by Mary in this case are a bit chunkier if you wanted to take a look,” Gabriel nodded and moved around to see the other rings. Gabriel really wanted to find one here but he wasn’t sure.

After about half an hour looking and puzzling over them Gabriel’s brain was about to break. Then he found it. Or found one he liked enough to want to give to Jack. It was a weird one made out of titanium as a wide, rectangular, band made up of engraved rectangles so it looked like it was a bunch of rectangles soldered together and then polished to a mirror finish. “I think I like this one,” he said.

“Oh yeah? Excellent.”

“Could it be enlarged? This is way too small for him.”

“Of course. Of course,” they assured him. “Do you know his size?”

“Uh…” but even as he said that he dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone, flicking it open to look at the note Athena had left on it for him. “Ten and a half? Is that a ring size?” Sure as shit wasn’t his boot size.

“Sounds right,” the artist said. “I’ll tell Judith you wanted it enlarged. It should be done in a few days. Can I get a name and how to contact you for when it’s ready?”

“Sure. Name’s… Jesse,” because like hell he was going to give his real name. Of the handful of people most of the world collectively knew, Gabriel Reyes, hero of the Omnic Crisis, was one of them. Jesse wouldn’t mind he was using his name to buy his boyfriend a ring. He’d honestly find it hilarious. He gave them his personal number too and paid for it on top of it, right then and there. With that done he walked out feeling pretty confident he’d made a good choice.

A few days later when he went back to get it Gabriel had a headache. A headache about this stupid ring and how he was going to give it to Jack. Someone else was there when he went to collect it and they gave it to him in a little ring box which Gabriel tucked away in his jacket pocket. He returned to the watchpoint with a pounding headache and wouldn’t you fucking know it but Jack found him immediately. He wanted to talk about something with him and he was talking to him in his Strike Commander Voice so Gabriel knew he couldn’t get out of it. Except he probably could. If he just asked Jack now it’d get him out of having to have a meeting with Jack that could go on for who knew how long.

But no. He couldn’t. Jack wouldn’t be mad but he’d tease Gabriel about it _forever_ if he asked Jack to marry him to get out of a meeting. He’d never live it down. So he just stayed quiet, nodded when appropriate and let Jack drag him into his office for a fucking hour long meeting. Gabriel had a headache the entire time.

—

2

It was hard to get away sometimes. More than anything Jack and Gabriel were married to their jobs. Sometimes they needed to get away. Those were date nights. They weren’t allowed to talk about Overwatch, or their coworkers or anything related to their jobs. They were only allowed to talk about things normal ass people talked about. It didn’t _always_ work out because their jobs were also their lives and they spent so much time together because of their job. The job was why they’d started a relationship in the first place. So they tried to not talk about Overwatch on date nights but it usually slipped in any way.

Tonight it was Gabriel’s turn to pick where they were going for dinner. He’d picked a nice place. A ‘collared shirt and slacks’ sort of place in New York City because what was the point of being part of an organization like Overwatch if you didn’t use the planes for personal use sometimes. Who would someone tell anyway? The Strike Commander? The restaurant was owned by a celebrity chef Jack liked and Gabriel knew he liked more than just as a passing interest from how he’d sometimes binge watch his cooking show like a real red blooded American on his days off.

Jack was excited about going. They had date night once a month, about as often as they could get away, and when Gabriel had said where they were going he’d been really excited. Like he’d practically squealed and Gabriel _wished_ he’d gotten that on camera.

They ordered their meal, talked about anything _but_ Overwatch, and tried to act like a normal couple on a normal date and not like two recognizable war heroes. And they were recognized. Gabriel saw more than one person do a double take on Jack and their waiter had just stared until they caught Gabriel glaring at them and acted professionally again. Jack was more recognized, of course, he was the face of Overwatch. It was hard talking about things other than work, it was all they did, but they managed somewhat.

At one point Jack left to go to the bathroom and Gabriel was alone. After a few seconds, he pulled the ring out from his jacket pocket. He’d had the thing for two months and hadn’t found a good enough time to ask Jack. He wanted it to be perfect, something they would both remember. Tonight seemed like a good time. They were at a fancy restaurant on a date. Or he could surprise Jack with it by just putting it in his drink or by his food because Gabriel was that cheesy.

He looked around the dining room. He caught a few people rubber necking to see if it was _really_ Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes. No. He didn’t want a spectacle. He didn’t want to do that to either of them. Maybe if they’d rented out the entire restaurant and it was just them. But with all these people? He didn’t want their private lives on display for everyone. They’d done a good job keeping their relationship out of tabloids, which was mostly thanks to the fact that they rarely left the watchpoint and paparazzi weren’t allowed within a thousand feet of the base and any photos of the base got you slapped with a real nice lawsuit thanks to it being secret government property. There were only the barest rumors, like most things known about Overwatch operatives.

Gabriel pocketed the ring again before Jack came back. “So, you wanna go?” he asked once he sat down.

“Already? We haven’t even finished dinner.”

“Someone asked for my autograph _in_ the bathroom.”

Gabriel frowned. “Yeah. Let’s get out of here.”

“It was good, though. I’m glad we came. I don’t know how you got a table-

“I had Athena do it. Told them Jack Morrison was taking a hot date,” and Gabriel grinned when Jack’s cheeks heated up. Their waiter came around and they got the check and they bickered about the bill and who was paying. “It’s my turn. I was taking you out, dumbass.”

“Yeah, but you used my name.”

“What part of ‘it’s my turn’ did not make it through your fat head?”

“That’s fat head, sir, to you,” Jack said sternly.

Gabriel’s expression didn’t change. “I’ll rock, paper, scissors you for it.”

“Seriously? We’re doing this right now?”

“Would not be the dumbest thing we’ve done this over,” Gabriel said with a roll of his eyes. He was, of course, referring to their encounter with Anubis a few years ago where they’d done rock, paper, scissors, to see who got the privilege of trying to cross the ‘death beam trap’ so the other couldn’t. It’d been a very heated debate on who got to risk their life before Ana had just yelled, ‘rock, paper, scissor, loser gets to do the stupid thing, you idiots,’ and then cussed them out a bit more in Arabic for good measure.

“Fine. Two out of three?” Jack asked. Gabriel just nodded. They did the game one handed and without a lot of fanfare, basically treating them like tactical hand signs. The first game Jack won with scissors. Gabriel won the second one with a rock. They stared at each other across the table and on Jack saying, “Three,” they made a sign.

“Yesss. Victory. Suck it,” Gabriel gloated. Jack just rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair while Gabriel grabbed the bill to pay for it. By now a few more people had realized who was in the restaurant with them and were making some not so sly looks. Was really time to go. The waiter came back with their food wrapped up because you just didn’t leave food this good half eaten and told them to have a nice day.

They got up and walked out. “Well, that was nice while it lasted,” Jack said as they walked down the street.

“Yeah. Sorry. A not so crowded place next time,” Gabriel said.

“It’s alright,” Jack said and reached over, grabbing his hand. “I got to spend time with you outside of work, that’s always a win in my book.”

“You’re hamming it up, Jack,” Gabriel grumbled. Jack just smiled at him and it was like the sun rose again. He just looked _so_ good when he smiled.

“Yeah, but you like it,” Jack said and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “So we’re going back to the hotel and?”

“And? What the fuck do you mean _and_? And I’m gonna,” he leaned over to say it into Jack’s ear so Jack turned bright red, “suck your soul out of your cock.”

Jack pulled on the collar of his shirt. “Alright then. I should probably try to get us a cab then, huh?” Gabriel just nodded with a smirk. Jack let go of his hand to step to the side of the sidewalk to hail a cab.

—

3

Sometimes Gabriel was just a really great boyfriend. He was always a good boyfriend but sometimes he was a _great_ boyfriend. Like when he made his boyfriend breakfast in bed.

Only problem was Gabriel couldn’t cook. He had three older sisters and had never had to actually cook or fend for himself other than to maybe boil some noodles or make cereal. His mamá or sisters always did the cooking at home then he’d left home and gone straight into the military, only stopping briefly to get a degree so he could get a better promotion and he’d never cooked in college since he’d moved back in with his family. He was terrible at cooking. One of the few things he just _could not_ do.

But he was determined. Jack had been sleeping poorly, stressed out about something, a UN something, and was working so hard. Too hard. Gabriel had forced him to take a day off to rest and watch the shows he liked and had expressly forbidden him from working and if Athena caught him doing any work on any screen she was to shut it down. He wanted to make Jack’s day off nice and restful and start it off right with a good breakfast.

So far he’d somehow burned about four eggs, chipped a bowl, and gotten bacon grease and flour on half of the counter top. In a word, it was a total disaster. He was meant to lead people in battle and shoot things, not cook.

Of all people, Reinhardt found him in the personal kitchen area about to just call it quits. He was already cleaning up and figured Jack wouldn’t mind just some comforting snuggling as a good morning present instead. “Gabriel, you made quite a mess in here.”

“Yeah,” he sighed.

“Do you want some help?”

Gabriel looked at Reinhardt. There was absolutely nothing graceful or elegant about Reinhardt and that was how and why Gabriel liked him. His hands looked even less suited for the task of cooking than his. “You cook?”

“Yes, of course! You don’t?”

“What was your first clue?” Gabriel asked without an expression, standing in front of the huge mess he’d made. Reinhardt laughed in that wonderful honest way he had.

“What were you doing in here?” Reinhardt asked, stepping further into the kitchenette.

Gabriel shyly- a word he wouldn’t usually use to describe himself- rubbed the side of his neck and jaw, “I wanted to surprise Jack with breakfast.”

Reinhardt’s eyes lit up. “That is a great idea! He’s been working so hard and deserves a nice day to relax.”

“That’s pretty much the point. I just… have no idea what I’m doing,” Gabriel groaned.

“Fear not. Reinhardt is ready to help.” Gabriel smiled helplessly at Reinhardt. He was just so good. Probably the best out of all of them. What the hell had Gabriel or Overwatch done to deserve a guy like Reinhardt Wilhelm? “And maybe I will make some for Ana too,” he added with a smile and Gabriel chuckled when Reinhardt’s cheeks turned a little pink.

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Gabriel said.

With Reinhardt’s help things actually happened. First Gabriel finished cleaning up his mess. Then Gabriel told him what he’d wanted to make and then he’d watched with the same wonder he did towards his mamá when Reinhardt just seemed to throw things together and food came out like magic. But unlike his mamá Reinhardt took the time to teach Gabriel too. So ‘he could do this by himself next time’ Reinhardt had said with a wink. They made quite a bit of food and Gabriel admitted maybe he wasn’t _that_ bad at cooking. He was still pretty bad but now he knew the best way to cook eggs and how to know when it was the right time to flip a pancake and to not fuck around with pan frying bacon it was better to cook them in a pan in the oven.

When they were done it was with significantly less mess than when Gabriel had tried himself and he had a tray with food on it for Jack. They’d made pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns. A real grand slam of a breakfast. Reinhardt had a smaller amount for Ana but after SEP both Gabriel and Jack ate way more food than normal people to keep up with their fast metabolisms and stay at a healthy weight for all the exercise and working out they did.

“Thanks, Reinhardt,” Gabriel said when they’d finished cleaning up the kitchen a second time.

“Of course! It was fun. Next time you decide to cook invite me, I’ll show you a thing or too,” and he winked at Gabriel before leaving with Ana’s breakfast.

Gabriel followed after him but they went in different directions. He went into Jack’s room where he was still passed out on the bed despite the light coming in from the windows. It was mid-morning by now, well past when Jack usually woke up. Gabriel set the food on the night stand and kneeled on Jack’s side of the bed. Jack woke and breathed deeply when Gabriel nuzzled him, kissing his neck and jaw. “Mornin’,” he mumbled.

“I got you something,” Gabriel said against his ear like a secret.

“If it’s your dick I’m not interested,” Jack grumbled.

Gabriel snorted. “No. It isn’t that. You need to be awake and sit up to see it,” he said, kissing the side of Jack’s face and neck some more. Jack whined in complaint but did sit up. “Good morning,” Gabriel said and kissed him despite the morning breath.

“Not going to lie; I like waking up like that,” Jack said and yawned, stretching. He was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes when Gabriel turned around and then brought out the breakfast. He stopped mid-yawn in surprise and his eyes got big as Gabriel put the breakfast down in front of him. “Did… you make this?” he asked.

“I did,” Gabriel said proudly.

“By yourself?” Jack asked, not believing him.

“… No,” he admitted. “Reinhardt helped me. He’s surprisingly good at cooking.”

“But still. Wow. This looks amazing.” Jack reached up and gave his beard a little tug to pull him down. Jack kissed him again. “Thank you. I appreciate the thought.”

“Well I hope you appreciate the food, too,” Gabriel said.

Jack just grinned. “I’m sure I will. But as nice as this is I also know I’ll fuck this up,” he lifted the tray up and put his legs down on the floor. “I need to eat this at a table.” Gabriel snorted and followed him to the work table in the room. They both sat, then Jack got up and went to sit right in Gabriel’s lap, to eat the breakfast. Gabriel liked that and he didn’t expect Jack to share, he expected it even less that Jack would feed _him_. He did not complain. He so did not complain.

This was probably a good time to bring out the ring. Gabe could feel it in his pants pocket. It’d been almost a month since their date in New York City and he still hadn’t found the right moment. Was this the moment? Shit, it could be the moment. It felt good and they were alone and Gabriel was so proud of himself for making Jack breakfast that he seemed to really like.

He thought about it too long. Breakfast finished and Jack kissed him on the cheek and got up. “I’m going to go take a shower,” he said. The soft, perfect, moment was gone. Gabriel cursed himself for worrying about it too much. He wanted to ask Jack and he’d just lost a great moment, a perfect moment. He groaned when Jack walked away and then leaned forward to bang his head on the table a few times, annoyed with himself.

—

4

When you felt like doing something impossible you challenged Reinhardt to a physical challenge. Gabriel had learned that a while ago. You just didn’t challenge Reinhardt to anything that required any sort of lifting or displays of strength. Didn’t matter how juiced up SEP made you it was just an exercise in frustration. Didn’t mean much to Jack. Jack liked to try his hand against Reinhardt at the gym knowing _full well_ Reinhardt would clobber him in whatever challenge he set except how fast could you run. In that Jack beat Reinhardt every time.

That was how Gabriel ended up standing next to Ana watching their boyfriend racing to do a hundred pull ups. They both wore the exact same expression of apathy, arms folded, watching this stupidity unfold before their very eyes. “This is so stupid,” Gabriel said around the fifty mark.

“Yes. The only good part is he’s shirtless,” Ana said mildly. Gabriel had honestly not considered it like that. It made the entire thing a little less dumb.

“Ana, how did we get tricked into dating macho white guys like these two?” Gabriel asked her.

“At least Reinhardt wouldn’t own a ‘suns out guns out’ tank top,” Ana said, giving him a side eye.

Gabriel grasped at his chest in mock horror. “I would _never_ allow that. Jack has class even if I have to force it on him.” That made Ana laugh.

“I don’t know why he does this. He knows he’ll lose,” Ana said.

“I don’t know either,” Gabriel said. “Just another mystery to me.”

They watched for a few more minutes and then Reinhardt dropped down onto the ground with a cry of triumph. “Ah-ha! One hundred. Sorry, Jack. Better luck next time,” he threw Jack one of his almost-too-big-for-his-face smiles while Jack just glowered, hanging from the pull-up bar. Then he went about finishing his pull ups as Reinhardt walked over to Gabriel and Ana.

“Good job, big guy,” Gabriel said.

“Oh, it was nothing,” he shrugged. “Do you want to try, Gabriel?”

“I’m good,” Gabriel said, lifting a hand. “I know my limits. Someone should figure out his.”

“I can hear you over here,” Jack called from where he was.

“Good! Cause you’re a _melón_.”

“Don’t call me an idiot, Gabriel I swear to god,” Jack said as finished his last pull up.

“Yeah okay, whatever _Commander_ ,” Gabriel was just being annoying now.

“Come you two, no need to fight,” Reinhardt said.

“Reinhardt, this isn’t fighting, they’re flirting,” Ana said as Jack came over to them.

“Of course they are,” Reinhardt rolled his eyes. “Maybe they need a lesson in flirting as well?” Gabriel just barely heard Ana’s quiet ‘uh-oh’ before Reinhardt took Ana’s hand with the utmost gentleness and said, “I love all the stars in the sky, but they are nothing compared to the ones in your eyes.”

Ana blushed. “Oh you, you are a flatterer.”

“And did you know that falling in love with you was the second best thing that happened to me? Second only to meeting you,” Reinhardt said with the most charming and perfect smile imaginable. Gabriel had honestly never seen Ana so red-faced and flustered. She was absolutely enjoying every moment of it too with a huge smile on her face and shyly barely even able to look at Reinhardt. “I’m glad that we met here, now and that no one got to you before me.”

“No, that’s my line,” Ana cried and made Reinhardt laugh. She reached up and pulled him down so they could kiss and Reinhardt wrapped a big arm around her.

“Man, you two should just get married already,” Jack said to their canoodling.

Gabriel saw the abject rejection on Ana’s face for a split second because Jack was seriously being a class act smart ass with that one. “Wonderful idea!” Reinhardt said and Ana was equal parts flustered, horrified, and delighted when he promptly dropped on a knee. “Ana, would you give me the honor of marrying me?”

Ana put her hand on her cheek. “Oh but Reinhardt, I’m too young to get married,” half serious, half sarcastic. “It’s so sudden.”

Reinhardt sighed dramatically, “Very well. I will respect your wishes, my beautiful lady. But know my heart is always yours regardless.” He stood up and kissed her again enthusiastically.

That was when Gabriel became aware that Jack was looking at him. He looked back at him, “Something wrong?” Gabriel asked him.

Jack just shrugged. “Must me nice is all,” was all he said. Gabriel nearly had a heart attack on that one. Shit. Did Jack know he had a ring? If he did was this his way of saying ‘do something’?

“What? Having a great boyfriend? You literally have one already,” Gabriel deflected. “Or is me not standing five feet from you obvious enough?” There was no way Jack could know Gabriel had bought him a ring. He kept it on his person nearly all the time or in a pocket somewhere where Jack wouldn’t be able to find it. In six and a half months he’d never lost track of it once. So was he just fishing? Or maybe Jack knew Gabriel was thinking about it and telling him to do it. But shit this wasn’t a good moment. He didn’t have it on him right now either since they were working out.

Jack just rolled his eyes at him. “Reinhardt. You up for another challenge?”

Reinhardt pulled himself away from Ana. “Oh? Want to lose again, do you, Commander?” Reinhardt said with a grin.

“I was thinking something a bit more practical,” Jack said and the two of them drifted away to do something else.

Ana came over to him and they stood there, watching Jack and Reinhardt for a few moments then she lifted her hand and whapped him across the back of the head. “What the hell?” he yelped.

Ana gave him an unamused look. “Just ask him already. You two are killing me here.”

Gabriel felt his ears burn but Ana couldn’t see that. “I have no-

“Lie to him, not to me. It’s unbecoming,” she said flatly. Then to throw him off, even more, she said, “Want to leave them to and do some actual exercise?”

Gabriel deflated. “Sure. Fine,” he sighed a little and followed Ana away from Jack and Reinhardt to the free weights.

—

5

The sound of the transports engine was relaxing, soothing even. Gabriel appreciated it after the shit they’d just had to go through. He was still half covered in someone else’s blood but that wasn’t the important part. The important part was that he’d had a successful mission and the hostages were safe and being treated by the Blackwatch medic a few seats down. Gabriel was tired and dozed a little on the way back to the watchpoint. As he did his mind drifted and in his not quite awake or asleep state he smiled to himself thinking about Jack.

Honestly, this mission had been pretty touch and go. They’d almost failed a few times, and by failed it meant died more than a small degree. But any time Gabriel thought maybe he’d kick the bucket he just thought about how much he absolutely couldn’t do that because Jack was back at the watchpoint waiting for him. So through sheer stubbornness, they’d completed the mission on the timetable and were all set for the expected landing time. The mission had lasted a few days but even still he could not wait to see Jack again, kiss him, and mess up his perfect hair.

“What’s the Commander so happy about?” he heard someone ask Jesse across the craft. When in doubt you asked Jesse about Gabriel because he was closest to him. Gabriel couldn’t help the fact that he was especially weak for fragile and broken things and wanted to make them better like Jesse so they were closer than ‘officer and subordinate’.

“Probably how good a shower’s going to feel when we get home,” Jesse said sarcastically and that actually made Gabriel snort to himself. That was the end of the questioning.

As they were coming down on the watchpoint Gabriel reached up and touched one of the pouches on his belt to make sure the ring was still in there. Vaguely he wondered if this would be a good time. A ‘so I almost died a few times and realized I don’t want to not have told you’ sort of situation. It was a nice daydream if nothing else. He thought it could work, right? Seemed logical. Yes, of course, you wanted to marry your boyfriend after he’d almost died after a mission.

Reality was a real bitch, though.

When transport landed they’d only made it inside the watchpoint when Athena alerted him that Jack was looking for him. Perfect! Gabriel told his men to clean up, make sure the hostages got to the hospital to get checked on, and he’d see them for debriefing later. Then he went to Jack’s office and he had his annoying Strike Commander Face on. Definitely not the look Gabriel was hoping he’d have after Gabriel got back.

“Mind explaining what the _hell_ you did out there?” Jack demanded. Oh, not just Strike Commander Face but Strike Commander _Voice_ too? Man, he was fucking pissed.

“Rescued the hostages, as ordered,” Gabriel said, not teeing up with him for a fight. He didn’t want to fucking fight right now. Fuck he’d literally just been thinking about proposing and Jack wanted to chew his ass out _now_? Great fucking timing.

“Then why do I have six major news channels and half a dozen embassies clogging up Overwatch phone lines looking for a statement on Overwatch’s involvement in the bombing that happened _last night_ in Prague. What the _fuck_ did you do?”

“We completed the mission objective-

“You destroyed a Holocaust museum!” Jack yelled. “Reyes!” Ouch, that one hurt a lot. “I expect a lot better out of you than this. Instead, I have to play damage control on your mess and try to explain away _why_ a Holocaust museum was partially destroyed and why we look like a god damn hate group with that small pile of omnic bodies you left behind.”

“I mean, you know why,” Gabriel said.

“That’s besides the point! Blackwatch is ops. You get in, you get out. I don’t ask what the hell you do I just expect it to be done quietly. Not this,” and to make his point hurt even more he turned on the holoscreen. Gabriel winced at a BBC news broadcast showing the museum they’d totally allowed to get blown up by accident. “Well, any excuses?”

“ _We_ didn’t blow up the museum,” Gabriel said. “ _Talon_ blew up the museum. Apparently, they were more pissed at us getting their hostages than we thought and wanted to make sure we didn’t make it out of there so they dropped the roof on our heads. I promise you, Blackwatch had nothing to do with the museum getting destroyed other than it was an attempt to kill _us_.”

Jack was still pissed but he accepted an actual reason for this complete incompetency. Gabriel had to admit to himself it was pretty messy. “Fine. But until further notice, Blackwatch operations are suspended. At least until this blows over. I can’t have the news asking if we’ve gotten too big for ourselves and thinking we’ve become a terrorist group.”

Gabriel slouched. “Fine,” he said. He couldn’t even argue. There was nothing to argue. Then he said something _really_ stupid. “Are you at least happy I’m alive?”

“No. Because now I want to murder you myself,” Jack said. Gabriel knew he was just saying it because he was angry and stressed out and had a literal crisis on his hands but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell. “Debrief your men. Make sure they stay on the watchpoint until I give authorization that they’re allowed to leave again.”

“Jack, that’s not-

“Don’t fucking argue with me, Reyes,” Jack said sternly. “You let a Holocaust museum get blown up. You should be so lucky you aren’t getting a worse punishment. Don’t add insubordination to the list of shit that’s gone wrong on this mission.” Gabriel glared at him but said nothing. “Dismissed,” Jack said. Just to be an absolute jackass about it, Gabriel saluted him properly and he knew more than anything that was the best insult he could give. He walked out angry and hurt and as he walked to his own office he took the ring out of his belt pouch.

“It isn’t really that bad,” Athena said as he walked down the empty hallway, just looking at it. Gabriel was honestly about to just chuck it because fuck this. If Jack could be this much of an ass when they were dating what the hell would he be like if they were married? Sure it was an issue but it hadn’t been Blackwatch’s fault. Jack had to know that. Wasn’t the point of being in love with someone forgiving them when shit went wrong? Of course, this was really wrong. Didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like a bitch when your boyfriend chewed you out like that.

“I dunno, I think it’s pretty fucking terrible,” Gabriel said, walking the coin across his knuckles a few times before palming it.

“He didn’t tell you to sleep in your assigned room like he does when he’s actually angry at you,” she said helpfully.

Gabriel sighed. “Yeah. I guess,” he said and pocketed the ring again.

—

+1

Gabriel was laying in bed looking at the ceiling. It wasn’t yet dawn but he’d just had trouble sleeping and the light coming through the blinds was synthetic from keeping the base relatively lit at night. Next to him Jack was curled up against his side, arm around his torso, sleeping deeply. It had been a while since that cluster fuck in Prague. The media had blown over by now, onto the next world drama because there was always something. It had been a stressful three and a half weeks for Jack despite that, dealing with it. Gabriel appreciated the fact that Jack dealt with it.

He could remember when he’d been so _mad_ about being passed over for Strike Commander. They hadn’t talked for two months unless they absolutely had to and then when they had there had just been some yelling, then some very angry making out and even angrier sex. Gabriel literally had a set of three scars on his back from Jack scratching the shit out of him that time. After that, they’d been fine, especially as Gabriel saw that Strike Commander was really just a big title for a shit job. Jack rarely left the base anymore and had to deal with the media and UN reps and ambassadors and presidents and prime ministers and do all the shit Gabriel would have hated doing. Gabriel was too much a man of action to just sit back and do desk work and talk nicely to stupid politicians. This far removed from the promotion it had been a stupid thing to be upset over, especially when Gabriel didn’t even _want_ the job.

Now was kind of like then. Jack had been pissed at Gabriel for botching the job because it just made his job harder. Unlike then they hadn’t stopped talking to each other. Instead, they just hadn’t had sex, which was almost as bad. Last night Jack had decided the heat had gone down enough and they were far enough removed from the situation to not be mad at Gabriel that it was pointless to keep being angry at him. Not like they weren’t still sleeping together the entire time but sleeping together wasn’t the same as sleeping together and some nights they had sex. Gabriel had thought the ‘I’m glad you’re still alive’ sex they used to have during the Omnic Crisis had been good; it had nothing on non-angry makeup sex.

Next to him, Jack shifted and his forehead wrinkled like he was having an unpleasant dream. Gabriel reached over and smoothed his thumb across the wrinkles in his forehead and gently pet his hair. His brow smoothed out and he went back to sleeping normally. Gabriel kept watching him sleep. He looked so calm and peaceful in his sleep. Unlike when he was awake when he was serious and a hair's breadth away from being too stressed out and pulled in fifteen different directions to function.

Gabriel couldn’t help but remember that this was familiar. He’d literally been a similar situation last year when he realized he didn’t just like Jack, but he loved Jack. Like really loved him. Like wanted to be with him forever loved him. Not just loved him but was in love with him. When he just looked so soft and beautiful and it was like there was no one else in the world but them on an island of calm in the middle of chaos that was either of their rooms.

It hit Gabriel as the sun was coming up that this was it. This was that fucking moment. He still didn’t wake Jack, just let him sleep. Gabriel had kept him up late and he had a lot of work to do today. Gabriel didn’t. Just go over files, do some research and make sure his agents were flying low under the radar. He’d have time to catch a nap later on if he wanted to. Jack didn’t have the luxury. That and he looked so cute while he was sleeping and Gabriel didn’t want to ruin that.

The sun came up, spilling sunlight through the blinds and filling the room with dawn light. Jack’s act of protest was to move his head to basically bury his face in Gabriel’s armpit and flank. Didn’t matter. He was awake now. He resisted for another fifteen minutes before waking up with a sigh and a yawn. “Morning,” he said sleepily, looking at Gabriel with one sleepy eye.

“Good morning,” Gabriel said and leaned over to kiss him on the lips. Jack hummed against his lips and the hand on Gabriel’s chest moved up to cup his jaw. “Sleep well?”

Jack smiled a goofy smile. “Yeah,” he said. “I forgot that the best cure for restless sleeping is to get fucked into the bed.” That made Gabriel laugh. He groaned and tried to get up but Gabriel pulled him back down. “Hmm? What?” he asked, seeing Gabriel’s serious face. This was it. Gabriel was never going to get one of these again, or if he was it wasn’t going to end as good as this. He opened his mouth, no sound came out. “Gabe, you okay?”

For a moment Gabriel couldn’t remember any English. His second language just went out the window because he wanted to do this but also holy shit this was terrifying. “ Cásate conmigo,” he said instead because that was what he could think of saying.

Jack just cocked his head at him. “Gabe, I don’t speak Spanish,” he said gently.

“Mierda,” he said and had to sort of restart his brain. Then it just came out with absolutely no finesse but that wasn’t really his strong point anyway. “Will you marry me?”

Jack blinked at him. “Seriously?” he asked.

“Yes, seriously,” Gabriel said.

Jack sat up, “Like seriously seriously?”

Gabriel also sat up. “Yes. Will you marry me?”

Jack leaned over and kissed him. “Took you fucking long enough and _yes_ you idiot. Yes yes yes yes,” and he peppered Gabriel’s mouth with kisses which were basically the best thing in existence. “Even if your timing is stupid yes I will absolutely marry you,” Jack said against his mouth. Gabriel smiled at that and kissed him some more. He didn’t even care that Jack’s mouth tasted terrible he was kissing the shit out of his boyfriend- fiancé right now.

“I uh…” Gabriel paused awkwardly. Shit, he should have proposed _with_ the fucking ring he’d been stressing out about for seven months. He was a grade-A moron. “I got you a ring too.”

“You did? Where? Gimme,” Jack said and Gabriel couldn’t help but chuckle at that. He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed his hat. He pulled the titanium ring out from where the beanie folded up. He handed it to Jack and he immediately put it on. “Mine now. Both of you,” and Gabriel could just not stop smiling when Jack kissed him again. “I want you to have one too,” Jack said once he was quite done kissing the ever loving hell out of Gabriel. He threaded his left hand through Gabriel’s and his heart jumped a little at feeling the band around Jack’s ring finger.

“Okay,” Gabriel said.

“Commander Morrison, I do _hate_ to interrupt,” Athena said apologetically, “but you do have a meeting with the Prime Minister of-

“They can fucking wait,” Jack told her. “Today everyone can fucking wait. Tell everyone on my schedule I’m running late today and they’re just going to have to deal with it.”

“Should I tell General Awade that as well?” she asked.

Gabriel snorted. “You kidding? She’ll be fucking thrilled when you give your excuse,” Gabriel said.

“Yeah yeah,” Jack rolled his eyes. Then he climbed out of bed and dragged Gabriel with him. “I want to kiss you some more but your mouth is way too gross for me to ignore it anymore-

“Looks who’s talking,” Gabriel said even as he half stumbled after Jack.

“Athena do I have any free time today?” Jack asked as they made it into the bathroom to brush their teeth.

“With having to push everything back, no Commander, I’m afraid you don’t.”

“Tomorrow?”

“You have two hours after lunch.”

“Good. I expect _you_ knew about this?”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Hey, don’t be a snitch, Athena,” Gabriel said around his toothbrush.

“What do you wish to know, Commander?” Athena asked.

“Where’d he get it?”

“I can give you the location,” Athena said as Gabriel rolled his eyes.

“Great. Put that into my schedule for those two hours after lunch tomorrow,” he said.

“Of course, Commander,” she said.

“I’m already regretting this,” Gabriel said once he’d rinsed his mouth out.

“Pfft, no you aren’t,” Jack said and kissed him on the cheek.

Gabriel tried to pretend to be annoyed with him even as Jack started brushing his own teeth but forgot how to when Jack grabbed his hand again and there was now the very obvious signifier that he loved Jack and Jack loved him. “Will you hurry up? Man if you weren’t busy yakking with Athena you could be doing that kissing thing you were complaining about earlier by now,” Gabriel huffed. Jack just grinned at him and squeezed his hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are great, comments are even better, even if it's just to say 'this was cute!'. I appreciate all of them and let me know you appreciate me too.
> 
> Also what Gabe says in Spanish is 'Marry me' and 'shit'. Thanks to my bro samky for that shit.


End file.
